𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐚 {𝐀 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜} [2] ✔️

17. OLD ENEMIES, NEW SITUATION

THE TENSION IN THE AIR WAS DETECTABLE as Dad and the Romanian coven locked eyes in a stare-down. The deep burgundy eyes of Vladimir and Stefan taunted Dad's golden orbs, daring him to make a move. The Irish coven stood back, watching the scene unfold with bated breath.

Vladimir was the first to break the silence, his voice smooth yet dripping with taunts. "Well, well, well. Look who's got a coven of his own," he said, his eyes flickering over to Stefan.

Stefan tilted his head in agreement. "Gabriel has certainly come a long way," he said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Dad sighed and stepped forward, trying to diffuse the tension. "Vladimir, Stefan," he greeted them. "It's been a while since we last met."

"Indeed it has," Vladimir replied, his smile fake and mocking. "We've travelled far to see you."

Stefan's eyes narrowed. "We know you used to work for the Italians," he said accusingly. "What made you leave them?"

Dad remained calm. "I left centuries ago," he said simply.

Vladimir chuckled. "And why's that? It isn't for control or power, is it?"

Dad looked sadly at them, knowing that he couldn't reveal the true reason for his departure. I watched as the Romanian coven turned their attention to us, their eyes scanning our group.

"Let me guess," Vladimir said, his voice dripping with amusement. "Some of them have powers of their own."

Joseph spoke up, trying to deflect the attention away from us. "Hey, I'm not helping you guess which one," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

Dad's voice boomed across the clearing. "Enough, Vladimir. We're not here to fight."

Vladimir laughed, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Oh, Gabriel. Always so aggressive," he said, adding insult to injury.

The stare-down continued, the tension mounting with each passing moment. It was clear that this was only the beginning of a long and difficult battle.

"We're merely suggesting that we have a certain level of familiarity with the Volturi," Stefan spoke softly, his words laced with a hint of caution. "Especially when it comes to vampires with extraordinary abilities."

Dad's emeanour shifted, his once composed facade crumbling before my eyes. The mere mention of the Volturi had the power to reduce him to a shell of his former self.

"I'm sure you're well aware of their reputation," Stefan murmured, his voice tinged with a dark edge. "Thanks to the infamous witch twins."

"The witch twins?" Simon's voice cut through the tense silence.

"Jane and Alec," Dadreplied, his eyes never leaving the two vampires before him.

The room was consumed by an eerie stillness as Vladimir and Stefan exchanged a knowing glance. Dad remained frozen in place, his gaze fixed on the pair before him. Vladimir's deathly stare bore into him, a silent warning of the danger that lurked in the shadows.

"Do you really want to risk losing any of them like we did?" Vladimir's voice cut through the tense silence, his eyes piercing into each of us.

Dad's golden eyes narrowed, his hands clenched into fists. The table shifted slightly, as if it were about to launch itself at the Romanians.

Stefan stood with his hands in his pockets, a smug expression on his face. "To be perfectly honest," he drawled, "we hope that this controversy caused by the child will finally destroy the Volturi."

I felt a surge of anger rise within me, my hair lifting slightly and my teeth grinding together. "We're not fighting them," my father said firmly. "We'll tell them it was just a misunderstanding."